Preparing Financially for a Career Change (part 1)

Well, I don’t actually have a “career” to speak of, but I’m preparing for a change of employment. I’ve learned that I’m not cut out for being an AA in this context (read: I can’t take this anymore) .

There’s a huge part of me that wants to quit right now. But the rest reminds me that I need to get my affairs in order, both at work and financially. I feel that I owe it to them to finish some projects I’m working on and get everything set up to help the new person transition in. (I’m going to have to figure out later when to tell who and such.)

Financially, leaving this position scares me. Because I know what I want to do and it doesn’t quite pay as much. Potentially. There are two positions which I’m looking at. Both are part time, one 12-16 hours per week (I’m hoping to cover other peoples’ shifts if possible too) at $10.50 and one ? hours per week at $11. The first is at a local library, the second is at a local hospital (testing newborns’ ears). (I might actually see if a second local hospital is also looking for a tester, once I have the other skills.)

I have a friend who tests babies’ ears, who says the department needs more people. She also adores her job. As for the library, I have plenty of qualifying experience. I’m also willing to start as a shelver if they don’t have spots open (I’m keeping an eye on their help-wanted advertisements). I’m a darn good shelver and the last library I worked at offered me a position at their desk.

I think both jobs are meaningful, they don’t involve sitting at a desk high in a building with no windows for 8 hours per day. The libary is even connected to one of my potential future professions.

Then I’m looking at doing freelance writing and sewing for the rest! Oh, and blogging…

If Mr. Micah weren’t a student and were a “real” professor (not that I think you’re not a real professor, honey, I’m just talking about salary), then I wouldn’t have to open quite so many avenues. But I think I can handle it.

How will we survive? We’ll have to stop snowballing for Mr. Micah’s car unless I make lots of freelance money. So how we pay it off will depend on the month. His little income from teaching should be enough to help us make ends meet.

We also have some savings that we can use if things get desperate (and some of Mr. Micah’s last loan which hasn’t been used and we were planning to give back, but he says he’d rather have a bit more debt than a wife who cries). Enough that we can give it a go for at least four or five months.

There’s one reason it’s not scarier–one reason I keep forgetting (and then panicking). Namely, temp work.

If this doesn’t work out and we’re starting to run out of money, I can go to a temp agency and try for another, similar job. Or for plain old temp stuff. I’ve even prepared my reasoning for why I’m leaving this job–something that doesn’t reflect poorly on me and doens’t badmouth the company. I’ll post about it sometime. And I’m keeping track of what I’m doing here so that I’ll have a nice, up-to-date resume.

I won’t be leaving until the end of November, unless something changes. My boss is on vacation that week and I think I’d cover the office much better than a new hire. Plus I have projects to complete. But that’ll be a nice time for me to set things in order while she’s gone (I’m pretty sure she’ll know by then).

And I hope to interview for the ear-testing job in November. They need someone to cover a few hours each Saturday (as well as the other days). So if I come on board with the expectation that I’ll be able to do more days in December, then it’ll be a good test-period.

Part 2 will probably launch tonight and will be about some specific financial steps I’ve identified.

Postscript: I only read this after I made the decision, but it’s a relevant post at—ironically—Ihateyourjob.com.

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